Surgical forceps.



E. MORAWEGK.

SURGICAL' PORGEPS.

APPLICATION FILED Mns, 1909.

' 943,263. Patented Dec. 14, 1909.

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ERNEST MORAW'ECK, OF LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY.

SURGICAL FORCEPS.

To @ZZ 'whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ERNEST MoRAwnoK, a citizen of the United States ofAmerica, and a resident of Louisville, Jeierson county, Kentucky, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Surgical Forceps, ofwhich the following is a specication.

The main objects of this invention are to provide an improved form ofsurgical forceps particularly suited for operations in the nose andthroat; to provide improved locking means for preventing accidentaldisengagement of the jaws of the forceps during a surgical operation andto provide an improved form of handle for devices of this class, whichhandle is so disposed and shaped as to oer minimum obstruction to otherinstruments required for the operation and which is particularly adaptedto allow the loop of a surgical snare to be passed over the forceps soas to engage the part which is held in the forceps. A specificconstruction for accomplishing these objects is shown in theaccompanying drawings in which:

Figure l is a reduced perspective view of a pair of forceps particularlydesigned for use in connection with surgical operations in the nose orthroat, the same being shown as held in the hands of an operator when inuse. Fig. 2 is side elevation of the same. Fig. 3 is transverse sectionon the line A-A of Fig. 2. Fig. et is a detail, partly sectional, of thelocking slide and the adjacent part of one of the handles.

In the form shown the forceps comprise a pair of levers l and 2pivotally connected at 3 and provided with gripping aws 4 and 5 in theform of sharp curved prongs or claws. The prongs on opposite jaws arepreferably arranged in staggered relation so as to overlap when closed.The levers l and 2 are slender and straight between the jaws and thepivot 3, but are both bent downward between the pivot and the handles sothat the handles and the hand of the operator will not obstruct theoperators view of the jaws while they are being inserted into a narrowpassage. The upper handle t3 is broadened slightly near its end to forma thumb grip which is roughened to prevent slipping. The lower handlealso has a Specification of Letters Patent. Pgwgntgd Dago 14, 1999,Application led May 6, 1909.

Serial No. 494,330.

slightly broadened and roughened grip and is extended beyond the gripand bent uponA itself to a shape similar to that of a shep herds crook.This hook provides a loop 7 for the operators second linger and a seat 8for the first nger. Oppositely disposed hook-shaped projections 9 on thehandles are adapted to interlock and prevent separation of the jaws whenclosed. The instrument is usually made of steel and the shanks of thehandles are therefore resilient enough to allow the projections 9 tospring into engagement with each other. They may be separated byspringing the handles apart in a direction transverse to the plane ofthe pivotal movement of the levers.

n order to prevent accidental opening of the jaws when engaged, alocking slide l0 is mounted on the shank of the handle 6. This slide hasa pair of ears ll located so as to prevent separation of the projections9 when the slide is slid toward the right of Fig. l. rihe slide isV-shaped in cross section and straddles the shank of the handle 6, a pinl2 holds the slide in place and prevents tilting in one direction whilethe ears ll eX- tending under the shoulders 13 of the broadened thumbgrip of the handle prevent opposite tilting. A shoulder lil on the shanklimits the movement of the slide. The levers are normally urged apart bymeans of a spring l5.

The operation of the device shown lis as follows: The spring normallyurges the levers apart. The instrument is held in the handv as in Fig. 2while the jaws are being directed into position for grasping the part orgrowth which is to be removed. rEhen by forcing the handles together,the jaws are closed, the shoulders 9 spring into interlocking incisionsare made which interfere with the operation, and it is also possiblethat` an4 1 operator might inadvertently apply the forceps to otherparts which are near the part which is to be removed, the chance ofwhich latter tendency is of course greatly reduced if the forceps may beallowed to remain in eni gagement with the part throughout the entireoperation. If a snare is to be used for cutting away the diseased. organor growth, the open hook of the handle permits the loop of the snare tobe readily passed around the hookshaped handle 7 ard over the otherparts of the forceps into position for the operation without disturbingthe forceps. This feature is of great importance as the loop in thehandle gives the operator a secure grip on the instrument withouthowever making it necessary to first pass the loop of the snare aroundthe part to be removed before applying the forceps thereto, as is thecase with forceps which have the usual closed loops on the handles. Torelease the jaws it is merely necessary to push forward the slide andspring the handles apart sidewise, all of which can be done readily withone hand.

Although but one specific embodiment of this invention is herein shownand described.l it will be understood that numerous details may bealtered or omitted without departing from the spirit of this invention.

I claim:

1. Surgical forceps, comprising a pair of pivotally connected levers,coacting gripping jaws at one end of said levers and handles at theother end, said handles being of relatively diflerent lengths,constructed to lie close together' and substantially parallel with eachother throughout the entire length of the shorter handle, the longerhandle being bent upon itself to form an open hook-shaped linger loop,and means for securing said jaws in their gripping position.

2. Surgical forceps comprising a pair of pivotally connected levers,coacting gripping jaws at one end of said levers, and handles at theother end, shoulders on said handles adapted to be sprung intointerlocking engagement with each other for securing the jaws ingripping position, and a lock on one of said levers adapted to preventaccidental disengagement of said shoulders.

3. Surgical forceps comprising a pair of pivotally connected levers,coacting gripping jaws at one end of said levers, and handles at theother end, one of said handles being bent upon itself to form ahook-shaped finger loop and the other being shaped to lie close to andsubstantially parallel with the adjacent part of said hook-shapedhandle, shoulders on said handles adapted to be sprung into interlockingengagement with each other for securing the jaws in gripping position,and a lock on one of said levers adapted to prevent accidentaldisengagement of said shoulders.

4. Surgical forceps comprising a pair of pivotally connected levers,coacting gripping jaws at one end of said levers, and handles at theother end, one of said handles being bent upon itself to form ahook-shaped linger loop and the other being shaped to lie close to andsubstantially parallel with the adjacent part of said hook-shapedhandle, shoulders on said handles adapted to be sprung into interlockingengagement with each other for securing the jaws inl gripping position,and a locking device slidably mounted on one of said handles and adaptedto engage the other to prevent accidental disengagement of saidshoulders.

5. 1n a surgical instrument the combination of a pair of levers pivotedtogether, coacting jaws on one end of said levers, handles on the otherend, oppositely disposed hook-shaped shoulders on said levers adapted tospring into interlocking engagement with each other when said jaws areclosed and adapted to be released by springing said levers apart in adirection transverse to the plane of the pivotal movement thereof, aU-shaped slide straddling one of said handles and having thereon an earextending along said landle into position for engaging said hook-shapedshoulder on the other handle to prevent accidental disengagement of saidshoulders, a pin extending between the sides of said tl-shaped slide forsecuring the same in position upon said one handle, a stop on said onehandle for limiting the movement of said slide, and a shoulder on saidone handle extending along the path of the movement of said ear andadapted to cooperate with said pin for securing said slide againsttilting onl said handle.

6. Surgical forceps, comprising a pair of pivotally connected levers,coacting gripping jaws at one end of said levers, and handles at theother end, constructed to lie close together and substantially parallelwith each other throughout their length, one of said handles being bentupon itself to form an open hook-shaped finger loop and being then bentoutwardly again close t-o the shank of said handle to form a finger seatin front of said loop leaving only a narrow space between said iingerseat and the shank of said handle.

7. Surgical forceps comprising a pair of handles of relatively differentlengths constructed to lie close together and substantially parallelwith each other throughout the entire length of the shorter handle, the

longer handle being bent upon itself to form an open hook-shapedfinger-loop and the other handle terminating at the rearward ter of thecombined shank parte of the two handles when closed. io Signed atChicago this 3rd clay of May,

part of said loop, without substantially di- 1909. verging therefrom,and adapted to permit ERNEST MORAWECK. the passage from end to end ofthe two hanlVtnesses:

clles and their Shanks of a closed loop or EUGENE A. RUMMLER, snarehaving its opening of about the diame- MARY M. DILLMAN.

